Dr. Blandine M.D. Franke-Fayard

Research interests

The focus of my work is specifically geared to gain insights on key molecular interactions between host and pathogen that govern malaria associated pathology. These host-parasite interactions are studied using the malaria parasite Plasmodium berghei of rodents as a model for human malaria.
My interests include studying the relationship between adhesion of malaria infected red blood cells to host endothelium and how this regulates parasite virulence, especially in the context of cerebral complications and pregnancy-associated malaria. For this research, we are generating an array of (reporter) transgenic malariaparasites that are used to delineate the relationship between infection and disease by using the latest real-time (in vivo) bio-imaging technologies. In addition, we aim to generate a novel ‘humanized’ in vivo malaria system, encompassing both the parasite as well as the rodent host to study in detail the associated severe malaria pathology; this innovative approach will also help to test and validate interventions strategies (chemical inhibitors of adhesion and vaccine formulations) designed for use against the human malaria parasite, P. falciparum.

Selected publications

Spaccapelo, R., Janse, C. J., Caterbi, S., Franke-Fayard, B., Bonilla, J. A., Syphard, L. M., Di, C. M., Dottorini, T., Savarino, A., Cassone, A., Bistoni, F., Waters, A. P., Dame, J. B. & Crisanti, A. 2010. Plasmepsin 4-deficient Plasmodium berghei are virulence attenuated and induce protective immunity against experimental malaria. Am. J. Pathol. 176, 205-217.

Ploemen, I. H., Prudencio, M., Douradinha, B. G., Ramesar, J., Fonager, J., van Gemert, G. J., Luty, A. J., Hermsen, C. C., Sauerwein, R. W., Baptista, F. G., Mota, M. M., Waters, A. P., Que, I., Lowik, C. W., Khan, S. M., Janse, C. J. & Franke-Fayard, B. M. 2009. Visualisation and quantitative analysis of the rodent malaria liver stage by real time imaging. PLoS. One. 4, e7881.

Tufet-Bayona M, Janse CJ, Khan SM, Waters AP, Sinden RE, and Franke-Fayard B. 2009. Localisation and timing of expression of putative Plasmodium berghei rhoptry proteins in merozoites and sporozoites. Mol Biochem Parasitol, 166, 22-31.

Franke-Fayard B, Djokovic D, Dooren MW, Ramesar J, Waters AP, Falade MO, Kranendonk M, Martinelli A, Cravo P, Janse CJ. Simple and sensitive antimalarial drug screening in vitro and in vivo using transgenic luciferase expressing Plasmodium berghei parasites. Int J Parasitol. 2008 Jun 12.

Braks, J. A., G.R. Mair, B. Franke-Fayard, C.J. Janse and A. P. Waters. 2008. A conserved U-rich RNA region implicated in regulation of translation in Plasmodium female gametocytes. Nucleic. Acids Res. 36(4) 1176-86.

Janse, C. J., B. Franke-Fayard*, and A. P. Waters. 2006. Selection by flow-sorting of genetically transformed, GFP-expressing blood stages of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium berghei. Nat. Protocols 1:614-623.

Franke-Fayard, B., A. P. Waters, and C. J. Janse. 2006. Real-time in vivo imaging of transgenic bioluminescent blood stages of rodent malaria parasites in mice. Nat. Protoc. 1:476-485.

Ramjanee, S., J. S. Robertson, B. Franke-Fayard, R. Sinha, A. P. Waters, C. J. Janse, Y. Wu, A. M. Blagborough, A. Saul, and R. E. Sinden. 2007. The use of transgenic Plasmodium berghei expressing the Plasmodium vivax antigen P25 to determine the transmission-blocking activity of sera from malaria vaccine trials. Vaccine 25:886-894.

Braks, J. A., B. Franke-Fayard, H. Kroeze, C. J. Janse, and A. P. Waters. 2006. Development and application of a positive-negative selectable marker system for use in reverse genetics in Plasmodium. Nucleic Acids Res. 34:e39.

Franke-Fayard, B, C. J. Janse, B. Franke-Fayard, G. R. Mair, J. Ramesar, C. Thiel, S. Engelmann, K. Matuschewski, G. J. van Gemert, R. W. Sauerwein, and A. P. Waters. 2006. High efficiency transfection of Plasmodium berghei facilitates novel selection procedures. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 145:60-70.

Kooij, T. W., B. Franke-Fayard, J. Renz, H. Kroeze, M. W. van Dooren, J. Ramesar, K. D. Augustijn, C. J. Janse, and A. P. Waters. 2005. Plasmodium berghei alpha-tubulin II: a role in both male gamete formation and asexual blood stages. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 144:16-26.

van Dijk, M. R., B. Douradinha, B. Franke-Fayard, V. Heussler, M. W. van Dooren, S. B. van, G. J. van Gemert, R. W. Sauerwein, M. M. Mota, A. P. Waters, and C. J. Janse. 2005. Genetically attenuated, P36p-deficient malarial sporozoites induce protective immunity and apoptosis of infected liver cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A 102:12194-12199.

Franke-Fayard, B., C. J. Janse, M. Cunha-Rodrigues, J. Ramesar, P. Buscher, I. Que, C. Lowik, P. J. Voshol, M. A. den Boer, S. G. van Duinen, M. Febbraio, M. M. Mota, and A. P. Waters. 2005. Murine malaria parasite sequestration: CD36 is the major receptor, but cerebral pathology is unlinked to sequestration. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A 102:11468-11473.

Voza,T., Vigário,A.M., Belnoue,E., Grüner,A.C., Deschemin,J.C., Kayibanda,M., Delmas,F., Janse,C.J., Franke-Fayard,B., Waters,A.P., Landau,I., Snounou,G., and Rénia,L. (2005) Species-specific abrogation of cerebral malaria in mixed Plasmodium infections of mice. Infect. Immun, 73, 4777-86.

Khan,S.M., Franke-Fayard,B., Mair,G.R., Lasonder,E, Janse,C.J., Mann,M. and Waters,A.P. (2005) Proteome analysis of separated male and female gametocytes reveals novel sex specific Plasmodium biology. Cell, 121, 675-87.

Franke-Fayard,B., Trueman,H., Ramesar,J., Mendoza,J., Van Der,K.M., Van Der,L.R., Sinden,R.E., Waters,A.P. and Janse,C.J. (2004) A Plasmodium berghei reference line that constitutively expresses GFP at a high level throughout the complete life cycle. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 137, 23-33.

Billker,O., Dechamps,S., Tewari,R., Wenig,G., Franke-Fayard,B. and Brinkmann,V. (2004) Calcium and a calcium-dependent protein kinase regulate gamete formation and mosquito transmission in a malaria parasite. Cell 117, 503-514.

Wel,A., Kocken,C.H., Pronk,T.C., Franke-Fayard,B. and Thomas,A.W. (2004) New selectable markers and single crossover integration for the highly versatile Plasmodium knowlesi transfection system. Mol. Biochem. Parasitol. 134, 97-104.

Alavi,Y., Arai,M., Mendoza,J., Tufet-Bayona,M., Sinha,R., Fowler,K., Billker,O., Franke-Fayard,B., Janse,C.J., Waters,A. and Sinden,R.E. (2003) The dynamics of interactions between Plasmodium and the mosquito: a study of the infectivity of Plasmodium berghei and Plasmodium gallinaceum, and their transmission by Anopheles stephensi, Anopheles gambiae and Aedes aegypti. Int. J. Parasitol. 33, 933-943.